Chum Creek resident Tennille Porter said the fire was within a kilometre of her property, and that she was starting up her water pumps incase the blaze headed her way.

“Right now it’s going in the other direction, but we’re just hoping the wind doesn’t change,” she said.

Ms Porter said the fire was producing thick smoke and that she could hear a number of helicopters overhead.

A CFA spokeswoman said that eight trucks and air support had been deployed to combat the blaze.

The fire is expected to change direction when a southwesterly wind change arrives.

Firefighters were also battling an out-of-control bushfire near Leneva West, south of Wodonga on Friday afternoon.

An emergency warning was downgraded to a watch an act for the fire that was moving in a south easterly direction from Brewers Road towards Wodonga Beechworth Road. The CFA said the fire had been contained at 3.40pm.